System and method for securing, releasing, and managing inventory

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system for digitally providing access to one or more articles is disclosed. The system includes one or more locking units to secure the articles in a locked state. A server generates or stores a digital key associated with the article or the locking unit. When the digital key is provided to a portable electronic device of a user, the digital key enables the portable electronic device to alter the locking unit between the locked state and the unlocked state without the user paying for the article or authorizing payment for the article. Upon a first event, the digital key is assigned to the user and provided to the portable electronic device of the user. The first event includes the user initiating a request for access to the article or the digital key, and verification that the user satisfies a predetermined condition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for digitally providing access to one or more articles comprising:
 one or more locking units, each locking unit configured to secure one or more articles in a locked state, the locking unit being alterable between the locked state in which the one or more articles are not fully accessible to the user and an unlocked state in which the one or more articles are more accessible to the user than in the locked state; and   a server configured to:
 generate or store a digital key associated with at least one of the one or more locking units or at least one of the one or more articles, the digital key being configured such that, when the digital key is provided to a portable electronic device used by a user, the digital key enables the portable electronic device to alter the at least one of the one or more locking units between the locked state and the unlocked state without the user paying for the one or more articles or authorizing payment for the one or more articles; and 
 upon a first event, assign the digital key to the user and cause the assigned digital key to be provided to the portable electronic device of the user to enable the portable electronic device to alter at least one of the one or more locking units between the locked state and the unlocked state; 
 wherein the first event comprises the user initiating a request for access to the one or more articles, the one or more locking units, or the digital key, and verification that the user satisfies a predetermined condition; and 
 wherein the first event does not comprise a payment for the one or more articles or an authorization of payment for the one or more articles. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the user is a consumer and the portable electronic device is owned by the user. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the user is a store employee. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first event comprises a return of the one or more articles, and upon the first event the digital key is enabled to alter at least one of the one or more locking units from the locked state to the unlocked state. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the digital key is a generic digital key enabling the portable electronic device to alter a plurality of the one or more locking units. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the generic digital key's ability to alter the plurality of the one or more locking units is limited by location. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the digital key enables the portable electronic device to alter any of the one or more locking units securing articles of a first product category. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the digital key comprises at least one of alphanumeric numbers, letters, binary numbers, or hexadecimal numbers. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein, while the digital key is assigned to the user, the digital key is not assigned to another user. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 :
 wherein, upon the digital key being assigned to the user based on the first event, the digital key is stored locally on the portable electronic device of the user; and   wherein the digital key is useable only for one transaction.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the digital key is associated with an identifier for the one or more articles. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein in the locked state the one or more articles are locked in an enclosure, and in the unlocked state the one or more articles are not locked in the enclosure. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the one or more locking units secures the one or more articles to a hanging surface when in the locked state. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the one or more articles comprise a vehicle, and each locking unit is configured to secure the vehicle in a locked state. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the server is further configured to un-assign the digital key from the user based on a second event such that the digital key is no longer usable by the user for causing at least one of the one or more locking units to alter between the locked state and the unlocked state, wherein the first event and the second event are different events. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the first event comprises an initiation of a purchase of the one or more articles and the second event comprises at least one of a purchase of the one or more articles, a return of an article, an elapsing of a predetermined amount of time, a movement outside a predetermined geographical area, or a predetermined number of uses of the digital key. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined condition is a predetermined financial condition of the potential purchaser. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first event further comprises authentication of the identity of the user initiating the request for access. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the digital key is transferable from the portable electronic device of the user to a second portable electronic device of a second user. 
     
     
         20 . A method for digitally providing access to an article, the method comprising:
 generating or storing a digital key associated with at least one of one or more locking units or at least one of one or more articles secured by the at least one of the one or more locking units, wherein each locking unit of the one or more locking units secures the one or more articles in a locked state, the locking unit being alterable between the locked state in which the one or more articles is not fully accessible to the user and an unlocked state in which the one or more articles are more accessible to the user than in the locked state, and wherein the digital key being is configured such that, when the digital key is provided to a portable electronic device used by a user, the digital key enables the portable electronic device to alter the at least one of the one or more locking units between the locked state and the unlocked state without the user paying for the one or more articles or authorizing payment for the one or more articles;   upon a first event, assigning the digital key to the user and causing the assigned digital key to be provided to the portable electronic device of the user to enable the portable electronic device to alter at least one of the one or more locking units between the locked state and the unlocked state;
 wherein the first event comprises the user initiating a request for access to the one or more articles, the one or more locking units, or the digital key, and verification that the user satisfies a predetermined condition; and 
 wherein the first event does not comprise a payment for the one or more articles or an authorization of payment for the one or more articles; and 
   providing the assigned digital key to a portable electronic device of the user to enable the user's portable electronic device to cause the locking unit to alter between the locked state and the unlocked state.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the first event comprises a return of the one or more articles, and upon the first event the digital key is enabled to alter at least one of the one or more locking units from the locked state to the unlocked state. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the digital key is a generic digital key enabling the portable electronic device to alter a plurality of the one or more locking units, and wherein the generic digital key's ability to alter the plurality of the one or more locking units is limited by location. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the digital key enables the portable electronic device to alter any of the one or more locking units securing articles of a first product category. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the digital key comprises at least one of alphanumeric numbers, letters, binary numbers, or hexadecimal numbers. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20  wherein, while the digital key is assigned to the user, the digital key is not assigned to another user. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 :
 wherein, upon the digital key being assigned to the user based on the first event, the digital key is stored locally on the portable electronic device of the user; and   wherein the digital key is useable only for one transaction.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the digital key is associated with an identifier for the one or more articles. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the one or more articles comprise a vehicle, and each locking unit is configured to secure the vehicle in a locked state. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the server is further configured to un-assign the digital key from the user based on a second event such that the digital key is no longer usable by the user for causing at least one of the one or more locking units to alter between the locked state and the unlocked state, wherein the first event and the second event are different events. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first event comprises an initiation of a purchase of the one or more articles and the second event comprises at least one of a purchase of the one or more articles, a return of an article, an elapsing of a predetermined amount of time, a movement outside a predetermined geographical area, or a predetermined number of uses of the digital key. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the predetermined condition is a predetermined financial condition of the potential purchaser, and the first event further comprises authentication of the identity of the user initiating the request for access. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the digital key is transferable from the portable electronic device of the user to a second portable electronic device of a second user. 
     
     
         33 . A system for digitally providing access to one or more articles, the system comprising one or more processor configured to:
 generate or store a digital key associated with at least one of one or more locking units or at least one of one or more articles secured by the at least one of the one or more locking units, wherein each locking unit of the one or more locking units secures the one or more articles in a locked state, the locking unit being alterable between the locked state in which the one or more articles is not fully accessible to the user and an unlocked state in which the one or more articles are more accessible to the user than in the locked state, and wherein the digital key being is configured such that, when the digital key is provided to a portable electronic device used by a user, the digital key enables the portable electronic device to alter the at least one of the one or more locking units between the locked state and the unlocked state without the user paying for the one or more articles or authorizing payment for the one or more articles;   upon a first event, assign the digital key to the user and causing the assigned digital key to be provided to the portable electronic device of the user to enable the portable electronic device to alter at least one of the one or more locking units between the locked state and the unlocked state;
 wherein the first event comprises the user initiating a request for access to the one or more articles, the one or more locking units, or the digital key, and verification that the user satisfies a predetermined condition; and 
 wherein the first event does not comprise a payment for the one or more articles or an authorization of payment for the one or more articles; and 
   provide the assigned digital key to a portable electronic device of the user to enable the user's portable electronic device to cause the locking unit to alter between the locked state and the unlocked state.